vietnamese pho ga

eat at pho triple 888 on rte 1 in peabody just north of boston located in strip mall on southbound side. the pho ga soup is unbelieveable, big bowl with fresh veggies and lots of rice noodles sprinkle some hots and some of the mild sauce provided on the table. the broth is fantastic . service is quick and reasonable prices. have tried a couple other soups but this one is the best. at luinchtime the place is all soup eaters.

we only have 3 viet places in nashville all in the same place.usally all pho is made with beef stock even the vegtable one. i always order xtra tendon and lace tripe in mine bo pho is beef.pho means rice noodle .

Pho ga is chicken noodle soup. It's also made differently then regular pho ..(at least the way that my mom makes it.) For chicken broth, she boils chicken parts until theyre cooked and adds spices and vegetables to make the broth. For beef broth, she boils beef bones!

Soak the rice sticks in warm water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the broth and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain. Thinly slice the scallion, onion and basil leaves. Slice the beef as thinly as possible across the grain. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Arrange the bean sprouts, mint sprigs, chiles and lime on a platter. Just before serving, bring the broth to a boil. Cook the rice sticks in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. Cut the noodles in a few places. Divide noodles amount 4 large bowls. Arrange the scallions, onion slices and beef on top. Ladle broth on top. The heat of the liquid should be sufficient to cook the beef.

I love the stuff. And in that respect I am extremely fortunate that there are two Vietnamese brothers who emigrated here in 1971 before the fall of Viet Nam and they opened a restaurant just up the street here in Austin on Jollyville rd. Their extensive menu offers some really good items but I always get the pho ga. It's wonderful stuff.

We're very fortunate to have a very large population of Vietnamese ex-pats in the Dallas area. I think half of Saigon moved to Dallas after 1975. Thus, we have a myriad of excellent Vietnamese restaurants to choose from. It seems there is no "one" style of Vietnamese cooking. Their styles of cooking varies from one geographical area of Vietnam to another. I'll tell you this, once you start eating Vietnamese food, you will like me, become addicted! The exotic flavors are quite pronounced. My favorite pho (pronounced, fah) is with beef tendons and meatballs. My favorite Banh Mi sandwich is the one made with French ham, roast pork, liver pate and, lot's of greens. It's served on a "french roll". As you can imagine, the former French colonization had a large influence on Vietnamese cooking. And, thats a good thing.

Being Jewish, I grew up eating some parts of animals other cultures would abhor. For instance, my mom always cooked chicken feet in her stewed chicken dishes. I loved (some of you should turn away for a second) sucking on the gelatinous pads of the chicken's feet. I guess that's why I'm attracted to the beef tendons. The Vietnamese waiters always look at me funny when I order tendons. Ha! The jokes on them because I love those parts.

Discovering new tastes has always been a joy for me. I was raised such a Calvinist that, in my youth, Chef Boyardee was "exotic cuisine". Our spice cabinet had only salt and pepper in it. As a teen I "discovered" Lea & Perrins and thought I had died and gone to Heaven. Later, when I read the label and found that it contained anchovies I stopped using it. But just for a short while.

Since, even though I have sampled nearly everything, I have an atavistic aversion to questioning/knowing "what's in my food". A classic example of this was my wolfing down Morcilla at a parridada on the shore of Lake Titicaca until I was stupid enough to ask what it contained. That scene was much like the one with Chevy Chase eating "lamb fries" in the movie Funny Farm.

"Don't ask, don't tell" has worked out great for me. So long as the food does not have a recognizable form (e.g., pig's feet) or a strange texture (e.g.: liver, tongue, sweetbreads), I'm down for it. Instead, bring on the pate and charcuterie!

(For some reason this aversion applies only to mammal parts. I can't get enough of chicken legs, shrimp, and lobster).

So, for the nearly 30 years I spent living in the "ground zero" of Vietnamese immigration (Arlington/McLean, VA) I remained willfully and blissfully ignorant about what was in my Pho. Whatever it is, it is wonderful stuff!

I must say Metroplex that I too adopted the Don't Ask/ Don't Tell philosophy from the times I spent wandering from port to port on my many Wespac (western Pacific) voyages. Invariably we would pull into ports in southwest Asia and there would be the food cart with totally unrecognizable food stuffs for sale. As with any young sailor after one too many San Miguels, I found myself gnawing on what we loingly called "monkey on a stick" as I wandered back to the ship. Next trip was during the daylight hours and we sought out the more reputable eateries. But again I chose to remain blissfully ignorant of what was on my plate. For this I was rewarded with an amazingly tasty array of local fare.

I'd like to thank Steadam2011 for posting that recipe but I see getting hit with an unwarranted "SPAM" label sent him away as that was his last post. Curious as to the motives for whoever did that to him?

I'd like to thank Steadam2011 for posting that recipe but I see getting hit with an unwarranted "SPAM" label sent him away as that was his last post. Curious as to the motives for whoever did that to him?

I totally agree. There was no reason for that post to be labeled as spam! Someone, especially a "newbie" who makes the effort to write a long recipe for us definitely belongs here. Although, I'd lose the "celebrity" link next time.